Rode’s wi-fi microphone programs have been the selection of creators for years. The brand new Rode Wi-fi Professional system has enhanced options, and radically improves sound high quality, connectivity, and person expertise.
The Wi-fi Go II and the unique Wi-fi Go mic and receiver programs are a number of the hottest instruments with YouTubers and Excessive-end creators a like. The Wi-fi Go lineup has impressed dozens of copycat merchandise, all of which promise one of the best sound and greatest efficiency.
The Rode Wi-fi Professional is an enormous improve over the Go II. Because the title implies, it brings many pro-level options to its compact, reasonably priced bundle. It really works with quite a few Rode wi-fi mics and provides better-quality sound and extra options than both Rode’s or opponents’ merchandise.
I examined the Rode Wi-fi Professional and the Interview Professional stick mic collectively. The Wi-fi Professional is a command unit for any of Rode’s Sequence IV mics, which incorporates the Interview Professional.
I paired these with the Rode Cellphone Cage, a body with a magnetic adapter that wraps round a smartphone for a cinema-camera-style grip. The cage can be designed to mount equipment like video lights and the Wi-fi Professional receiver unit.
The result’s a steady platform for creators taking pictures with smartphones, however the Wi-fi Professional is simply as comfy in a digital camera’s sizzling shoe.
The 2 transmitters have inner storage and might transmit audio to the receiver. The Wi-fi Go II that I exploit additionally shops audio within the transmitters, and it is saved many shoots the place I forgot to activate the receiver or had the digital camera’s audio recording set improperly.
The Wi-fi Professional system has many glorious options, however the standout is the flexibility to report 32-bit floating-point audio. I will clarify the advantages of this, however the TLDR is that it is the highest-quality audio out there in a wi-fi mic.
The Rode Wi-fi Professional setup features a receiver unit and two transmitters. Every is a small rectangle in regards to the measurement of an AirPod case. The transmitters can report from built-in microphones or lavalier mics with the built-in mic jack.
Only a few individuals use the built-in mics. Lavalere (lav) mics are tiny microphones typically clipped to clothes. For those who’ve ever seen a small mic hooked up to somebody’s lapel on TV, you have seen a lav.
The one motive I’ve ever used the built-in mics with my Go II is after I overlook to carry my lav mics.
The standard of a microphone is the most important think about audio high quality. The lavs with the Wi-fi Professional are glorious, and the system accepts any mic with a regular mic jack connector.
Since any mic will hook up with the Wi-fi Professional transmitters, creators with higher-quality lav mics can use these as a substitute. Only a few customers might want to improve with such good lav mics offered.
The system has a headphone jack on the receiver so digital camera operators can monitor the audio and make essential changes. The identical port can be utilized so as to add a microphone. This permits scene narration or permits the operator so as to add spoken notes about post-production steps.
The Rode Wi-fi Professional receiver has each microphone and USB-C outputs. The microphone out port connects to straightforward mic jacks, whereas the USB-C connection permits any iPhone or iPad for use for audio recording. The USB-C connector additionally transfers audio recordsdata from the transmitter’s inner storage to a Mac or Home windows machine.
Rode Wi-fi Professional assessment – Type and performance
Rode’s wi-fi programs have at all times been surprisingly small and light-weight, particularly contemplating the audio high quality they seize. The Wi-fi Professional system is barely greater in all dimensions than the Wi-fi Go II. The transmitters are sufficiently small to slide right into a pocket with out noticing the dimensions or heft.
The system is available in a zipper case with charging slots for every part and a USB-C port to cost all units concurrently. The case is comparatively cumbersome, only a bit smaller than a HomePod.
The case is one in all my favourite issues in regards to the system, as it will probably cost all three units concurrently. Every part needed to be recharged individually with the older programs, so the case is welcome even when it provides bulk.
Regardless of its measurement, somebody already packing a digital camera, lenses, tripod, and equipment is not going to be bothered by it.
The system comes with a second zippered pouch for the included equipment, which have a whole lot of equipment. The system has microphones and magnetic clips to attach the transmitters to metallic surfaces. The package comes with the whole lot wanted for audio recording.
As I will clarify beneath, the Wi-fi Professional system works with different Rode microphones. It may be used with the included two transmitter modules and units like stick mics and different Rode wi-fi merchandise.
The receiver unit has audio stage bars that point out which mics are transmitting to the receiver.
Rode Wi-fi Professional assessment – 32-bit floating level audio
The Wi-fi Professional’s most necessary characteristic is not the design of the mics or the case. The Wi-fi Professional data audio in what’s referred to as 32-bit float audio.
Typically simply referred to as 32-bit float, this recording format may very well be an article, however the concept behind the good thing about 32-bit floating-point audio is pretty easy.
Think about making an attempt to attract a sensible sundown over a inexperienced area utilizing crayons. Utilizing the eight-color field will make your paintings look nearly nothing like the true world. The sundown will solely be yellow or orange, and the grass will probably be one or two shades of inexperienced.
Swap to the 128-color field of crayons, and you may make a way more lifelike piece of artwork. The grass can have a spread of shades, and the sky across the solar can have a easy gradient of blues to reds.
As with colours, audio has a fancy vary as nicely. Recording 32-bit floating-point audio is greater than utilizing a 128-color field of crayons— it is the audio equal of a crayon field with 1000’s of colours.
32-bit audio recording is carried out with two completely different converters, one in all which captures comfortable sounds and the opposite of which captures loud sounds.
Most audio recorders at this stage seize solely a center vary of tones. They can not report the loudest or the softest audio, so whispers are inaudible, and louder sounds are likely to “clip,” which is the time period for audio that’s so loud it distorts.
32-bit float recorders can seize a spread of audio ranges far better than the human ear can hear, so quiet sounds aren’t misplaced, and loud sounds will not clip.
As somebody who data studio and area recordings for a YouTube channel, I’ve to set and check my audio each time I sit right down to report to make sure it will not clip. I’ve to regulate my audio in order that it may be heard clearly when recording outdoors.
32-bit float eliminates almost the entire guesswork with audio recording. In case your mic acquire is about too excessive or too low, 32-bit float lets you repair it in postproduction with out worrying about distorted audio.
The system has a number of different audio options, together with GainAssist. GainAssist permits the system to differ the amplification of sounds to match the audio ranges in manufacturing.
Rode Wi-fi Professional assessment – Timecode
The Rode Wi-fi Professional can recode timecode, often present in high-end audio programs. Timecode seamlessly syncs footage from timecode-capable cameras with timecode-based recordings from an audio recorder.
The result’s audio that completely syncs with the footage from a number of timecode-aware cameras. It’s spectacular {that a} sound recording system with a 32-bit float and a timecode will be had for beneath $400.
Rode Wi-fi Professional assessment – Wi-fi Transmission
The Rode Wi-fi Go launched high-quality wi-fi transmission protocols for sound transmission from the transmitter to the receiver. A system with poor wi-fi transmission is sort of ineffective. If you cannot report audio with out distorting it, it does not matter how good the mic or the transmitter is.
The Wi-fi Professional makes use of the corporate’s proprietary Sequence IV transmission and claims to have almost zero latency. Latency is the delay between audio and the second it is recorded and is the most important explanation for audio tracks not syncing with video.
The wi-fi transmission is encrypted, so it is not possible to snoop on its wi-fi indicators. Rode says their audio is steady as much as 260 meters, round 800 toes. Whereas I did not check the mic at these lengthy distances, I did check it greater than 100 toes away, and the audio recording was good.
In my system testing, the audio high quality was pristine, and efficiency was on par with the corporate’s guarantees. Whereas I’m not an audio engineer, I do have to regulate the audio for the movies I create, and even with my high-end studio mic, this is not at all times doable as a result of my digital camera solely data 24-bit audio.
The Rode system can report audio at the next high quality than my $500 microphone and $4000 digital camera mixed. I will doubtless use this method for a second audio stream to make sure I get one of the best sound doable.
I additionally examined the Rode Interview Professional on wi-fi transmission, which works with the Rode Wi-fi Professional because of its use of the identical Sequence IV transmission system. Establishing this stick mic to work with the wi-fi receiver took just some button presses. The Wi-fi Go II additionally has Sequence IV capabilities, so customers of the older programs can use this mic, too.
As I anticipated, the audio high quality is excellent. The audio recordsdata have a lot vary that modifying is radically simplified in comparison with the Wi-fi Go II.
I captured audio in each loud environments and with very quiet talking, and in all circumstances, recovering vocal high quality was easy.
Rode Wi-fi Professional assessment – Inner recording
The Interview Professional and the Wi-fi Professional have an inner recording of their 32-bit float audio seize. Greater than as soon as, I forgot to show off the receiver on the Wi-fi Go II, which had depleted its battery by the point I went to shoot.
Having the ability to report audio internally saved the shoots. I recorded audio with the in-camera mic because the observe to sync the higher-quality Rode mic and my footage.
Transferring audio from the Rode Wi-fi Professional transmitters and the Interview Professional to a Mac is straightforward. Plug the units in by way of USB-C and launch Rode’s app. Any recording on the machine will be downloaded. Rode’s app offers quite a few adjustment instruments, however I usually modify audio in my editor.
Rode Wi-fi Professional assessment – Equipment
I examined the Wi-fi Professional with the corporate’s Cellphone Cage, a $120 all-metal grip that wraps round a telephone. Cages are frequent equipment for mirrorless and cinema cameras used for video manufacturing. They will act as grips and supply locations to mount equipment such because the Wi-fi Professional.
The Cellphone Cage comes with a metallic disc the dimensions of the iPhone MagSafe that may be hooked up to the central bar of the cage. A further mount can be offered for Android customers and iPhone customers with telephones that do not have MagSafe.
There are hotshoe mounts on each the highest and backside corners of the cage, onto which the Wi-fi Professional receiver will be mounted, in addition to lights and different equipment with a hotshoe-style connector.
One of many advantages of a cage is its stability when handholding a digital camera. The bigger grips permit for extra steadiness than simply wrapping your fingers round a telephone.
The cage additionally makes it simpler to carry out easy motions, because the telephone will be held in a extra comfy place than merely held.
Whereas the accent grip is not essential buy, particularly should you’re taking pictures with a digital camera as a substitute of a telephone, it reveals the Wi-fi Professional’s flexibility. I might mount the machine on my digital camera for studio work after which put it on the cage for movies shot outdoors.
Rode Wi-fi Professional assessment – Glorious sound and unbelievable worth
The Rode Wi-fi Professional builds on the legacy of Rode’s well-regarded Wi-fi Go line. This new system will undoubtedly grow to be the go-to selection for YouTube creators, documentarians, reporters, and extra.
The Wi-fi Go II was an incremental improve over the unique Wi-fi Go. This new system provides a a lot better leap in know-how and audio high quality with out a a lot better leap in worth.
The package has the whole lot wanted to get began. The offered mics are glorious, eliminating the necessity to improve for higher sound.
Rode Wi-fi Professional assessment – Execs
- Main soar in audio high quality over the earlier system.
- Progressive case expenses all three units directly
- All the things a creator wants in a single bundle
- System-based design can use a number of mic varieties
- Constructed-in recording offers peace-of-mind
- Timecode assist allows good audio sync
Rode Wi-fi Professional assessment – Cons
- Case is cumbersome in comparison with different programs
Score
The place to purchase the Rode Wi-fi Professional
The Rode Wi-fi Professional, which is $399, is out there at Amazon.